It is nearly April, and former San Francisco 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings remains unsigned. When the 2026 NFL free agency window opened on March 11, the 28-year-old was preparing to be an early name off the board, but unfortunately, things did not work out that way.
Part of the unexpected timeline for Jennings may be due to the anticipated price of a deal the 22-career-touchdown man would receive. As we near three weeks since the beginning of free agency, how much longer will it take for Jennings to find a home?
Jauan Jennings Navigates Free Agency as 49ers Move On
Despite his struggles to ink a new deal in the opening weeks of free agency, there is no denying Jennings’ abilities. During his tenure with the 49ers, the team has been one of the most injury-prone in the NFL. Star wideouts Brandon Aiyuk and former 49er Deebo Samuel each missed significant time during Jennings’ tenure with the 49ers.
In the absence of the team’s top receivers, Jennings provided valuable depth. During the 2024 campaign, the Tennessee product reached 975 receiving yards, finishing with 77 receptions and six touchdowns.
In 2025, the reliable pass catcher caught the most touchdowns he has in a single season to this point in his career (9). The impressive total ranked him tied for sixth in the NFL in that statistic.
While the numbers look strong on paper, PFSN’s WR Impact metric puts the former seventh-round pick at a 71.1 impact score, landing him a C- and the 77th overall rank among eligible receivers.
Allegedly, when free agency began, Jennings anticipated his value to be in the range of $15 million to $20 million a season. Remaining unclaimed, the five-year pro may need to lower the price for his next destination.
Matt Barrows on Jauan Jennings:
“I spoke to a team of officials across the league and I asked about Jauan Jennings and the answer is obvious, he thought his market was gonna be bigger than it was. Back in the summer the 49ers were negotiating a deal, but Drew Rosenhaus and… pic.twitter.com/d1Es7s3Des
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) March 30, 2026
Matt Barrows, who covers the 49ers for The Athletic, discussed Jennings’ potential new deal candidly, as deciphered in an X post via Coach Yac.
“I spoke to a team of officials across the league and I asked about Jauan Jennings and the answer is obvious, he thought his market was gonna be bigger than it was,” Barrows said.
“Back in the summer the 49ers were negotiating a deal, but Drew Rosenhaus and Jennings thought that he was worth more than the 49ers were willing to pay and it turns out that the rest of the league agrees with the 49ers. He’s too good of a player not to land somewhere in late April early May, but it’s not gonna be at the $15-20 million price tag that he was seeking.”
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Barrows believes that Jennings will be picked up before the calendar turns to June. However, the 49ers brass and their anticipated value of the wideout may have been correct all along, as no other NFL team has made a move on the former Volunteer.
A return to the Bay is not necessarily out of the question, but with general manager John Lynch’s moves thus far this summer, it appears unlikely. One of the bigger splashes made in the past three weeks came when the 49ers acquired longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Evans.
Additionally, Christian Kirk joined the team, likely to serve as a primary target alongside Evans and rising star Ricky Pearsall. The fresh trio appears more than enough for Brock Purdy, who has been able to work with a plethora of receivers to this point in his career.
The NFL Draft is the next major event in the NFL cycle, kicking off on April 23. It will be interesting to see whether Jennings signs before teams inevitably fill the position’s holes on draft day.
